The present invention relates to a support assembly for an outboard trolling motor, and in particular relates to such an assembly that provides a convenient and reliable means to raise the motor from the water and lower the motor into the water while operating a boat.
Outboard trolling motors are widely employed for the purpose of maneuvering a small boat over short distances. Such motors are very popular with fishermen because they allow a fisherman to approach desired fishing areas very closely at low speed, with very little disturbance of the surrounding water. The motors allow the fisherman to remain relatively motionless over a desired fishing location, despite wind or other factors that would tend to push the boat away. Such motors also allow the fisherman to slowly and quietly move about in a small area while fishing the entire area as the boat is slowly moved. The motors typically produce almost no noise or vibration because they are powered electrically, generally driven from a battery maintained on the boat. The battery may be dedicated to the trolling motor or, more commonly, serve the dual purpose of driving the trolling motor and providing a source for an electrical start function for the main drive motor. Trolling motors are ideal for use in areas where projections or obstacles may be encountered, which require finely-tuned maneuvering of the boat to avoid damage. Many game fish prefer such areas, and thus trolling motors are employed on the great majority of high-end fishing boats, particularly those boats employed by professional fishermen.
A typical trolling motor comprises three main components. A propeller-driven propulsion unit is positioned under the water during use. The propulsion unit provides the drive that actually pushes or pulls the boat in the desired direction. A shaft attaches to the propulsion unit and extends up out of the water, providing a connection point between the trolling motor and the boat. A head unit is generally positioned at the top of the support assembly in order to provide a steering mechanism. The steering mechanism may be either electrically powered or manual. A manually steered unit may comprise a handle that extends from the head, allowing the operator to turn the support assembly shaft and, as a result, change the direction of the propeller of the propulsion unit with respect to the boat. As an alternative, electrical turning controls may be included, which are typically operated by a foot pedal, allowing for the hands-free operation preferred by many fishermen so that they may simultaneously move the boat and fish. Trolling motors are usually attached at either the bow or the stern of the boat, as desired by the operator, but are more often mounted at the bow. One purpose for this mounting position is to avoid interference with an outboard or inboard/outboard main drive unit, which is typically mounted at the stern of a fishing boat.
To avoid drag and potential damage to the trolling motor, a trolling motor must be removed from the water when the boat is operated at speed under the propulsion of its main drive unit. Once the boat approaches the general area of the operator's destination, such as a fishing spot identified by the operator, the main drive unit is shut off and the trolling motor must be lowered into the water. This operation should ideally be performed as silently as possible, with a minimum of water disturbance in order to avoid frightening fish in the immediate area of the boat. The operation should also be performed as quickly as possible, particularly when the operator is a professional fisherman competing in a timed fishing event or tournament. In a typical trolling motor mounting arrangement, removing the trolling motor from the water requires that the trolling motor head be pulled back over the boat, and the propulsion unit rotationally lifted from the water and pulled back onto the boat by movement of the shaft up and over the side of the boat. The reverse operation is required for placement of the trolling motor into the water when a desired location is reached.
While in some trolling motor units this raising and lowering operation must be performed manually, other trolling motors include a geared system providing a motor-operated function to raise and lower the trolling motor. An example of this latter type of arrangement is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,039 to Henning. Such prior art systems as taught by Henning result in a cumbersome mechanism for raising and lowering a trolling motor. A large amount of space in the boat must be dedicated to placement of the trolling motor in a horizontal position once the trolling motor is raised from the water.
In addition, the prior art systems provide no effective protection for the trolling motor should an underwater obstacle be struck during operation of the boat. Striking an obstacle during operation is a common occurrence, since trolling motors are often operated in areas where underwater obstructions are frequently encountered, such as near the bank of a body of water or near a submerged tree. Although the boat is typically moving at low speed when this occurs, trolling motor propulsion units are small and fragile, and even a low-speed collision with an underwater obstacle may render a trolling motor inoperable.
What is desired then is an improved support assembly for a trolling motor that overcomes each of these disadvantages.